Safety device for highchair



June 5, E LOWE SAFETY DEVICE FOR HI'GHCHAIR Filed July 21, 1959 Lawrence E. Lowe INVENTOR.

BY M

United States Paten 3,037,813 SAFETY DEVICE FOR HIGHCHAIR Lawrence Lowe, 708 Foote Ave., Jamestown, N.Y.

Filed July 21, 1959, Ser. No. 828,520

2 Claims. (Cl. 297-390) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in safety devices for highchairs and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, means for positively preventing the occupants of such chairs from sliding forwardly out of same.

Another very important object of the present invention is to provide a safety device of the aforementioned character comprising novel means for securely attaching said device to the chair seat.

Still another important object of the invention is to provide a safety device of the character described which may readily be adjusted on the chair seat to accommodate occupants of various ages and sizes.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a safety device of the character set forth which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, compact, of light weight and which may be manufactured at loW cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, showing a safety device embodying the present invention in position on the seat of a high chair;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale through the chair seat, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view in vertical section on an enlarged scale through the lower portion of the device, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view in transverse section through the post securing means, taken substantially on the line 44 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a detail view in perspective of the slidable lock.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that reference character 6 designates generally a portion of a conventional highchair. The highchair 6 includes the usual seat 7 mounted on legs 8, arm rests 9 on said seat, etc.

The embodiment of the present invention which has been illustrated comprises a generally frusto-conical post 10 of suitable dimensions and material. The post 10 includes a vertical rear 11 and a forwardly and downwardly inclined front 12-.

The post 10 is adapted to be adjustably secured on the front portion of the seat 7. Toward this end, the lower or base portion of the post 10 is provided with a horizontal passage 13 which extends from the front 12 to the rear 11 of said post. This is shown to advantage in FIGURE 3 of the drawing. The passage 13 slidably accommodates a securing strap 14 of suitable flexible material. Anchoring hooks 15 are provided on the ends of the strap 14 for engagement with the front and rear edges of the chair seat. The hooks 15 are preferably rubber covered to protect the seat 7.

Mounted transversely on the lower portion of the front 12 of the post 10, above the forward end of the passage 13, is a loop or guide 16. A lock 17 is slidably mounted in the guide 16 for engagement with the strap 14 for securing the post 10 in adjusted position thereon. The lock 17 includes a bowed, resilient bar 18 which is slidable under tension in the guide 16 on the front 12 of 3 37,813 Patented June 5, 1962 ice 2v the post 10. At its lower end the bar- 18 is provided with teeth 19' for biting into the strap 14. At the upper end thereof, the bar 18 terminates in a right angularly bent operating handle 20.

It is thought that the use of the device will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, the strap 14 is held taut on the seat 7 by the hooks 15 engaged over the front and rear edges of said seat. The post 10 is adjusted forwardly or rearwardly on the strap 14 and secured through the medium of the lock 17 in an obvious manner. Of course, the occupant of the highchair sits on the seat 7 rearwardly of the post 10 and straddles said post. The upstanding post 10 will engage in the crotch and function as a stop for preventing the occupant of the chair from sliding forwardly. The bowed, tensioned bar 18 is frictionally retained in operative or inoperative position in the guide 16. The rear end portion of the strap 14 is looped, as indicated at 21, through a slot provided therefor in the rear hook 15 and stitched. The front hook 15 is connected to the forward end portion of the strap 14 through the medium of an elastic loop 22 of suitable material, preferably rubber. The elastic loop 22 facilitates application of the strap 14 to the chair seat 7 and tensions said strap. The end portions of the elastic loop 22 receive the forward end portion of the strap 14 therebetween and are riveted thereto, as indicated at 23 (see FIGURE 4).

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A safety device for a chair seat comprising a pair of rigid anchoring hooks each adapted to readily and removably embrace a marginal edge portion of said chair seat, elongated strap means, means securing said anchoring hooks to opposite end portions of said strap means with said anchoring hooks opening toward each other for embracing opposite marginal edge portions of said seat, at least a portion of said strap means being constructed of elastic material, an upright post having an enlarged lower end portion adapted to be disposed in sliding contacting relation with the upper surface of a chair seat, means on said post snugly and slidably receiving said strap means mounting said post on and for sliding movement longitudinally of said strap means and slidingly and snugly embracing said strap means at each of at least two points spaced longitudinally along said strap means whereby said post may not be altered in angular disposition relative to the longitudinal axis of the portion of said strap means disposed between said two points with which said post is engaged, lock means carried by said post releasably engageable with said strap means for retaining said post in adjusted positions against movement in both directions along said strap means, said means slidingly mounting said post on said strap means comprising a transverse passage formed in said post in said lower end portion of said post snugly and slidably receiving said strap means, said lock means including an elongated guide carried by said post and aligned with one end of said passage, a slide lock slidingly engaged with said guide for movement longitudinally therealong and transversely of said passage and including an extendible portion closely adjacent said post frictionally engageable with said strap means at one end of said passage to clamp said strap means between said extendible portion and the portion of said post defining one end of said passage, and means frictionally retaining said lock in adjusted position relative to said guide.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said post includes a rear portion adapted to engage the crotch of a baby, said' strap means comprising a flexible elongated strap secured at one end to one of said hooks, sai-d elastic portion of said strap means including an-elastic loop having one end secured to the outer end of said strap and the other end secured to the other of said hooks, the forward portion of said post being disposed closer to othe}- of said hooks than the rear portion of said post Wherehy when the safety device is secured to a chair seat with the elongated strap means extending between front and rear marginal edge portions of the chair seat, the elastic portion of the, elongated strap means will be disposed forwardly of the upright post thereby insuring that a thrust eifected by a baby within the chair forwardly on the post will not be elfective in moving the post forwardly relative to the chair seat on which it is disposed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

